MIAM

Sunday, 27 April 2014

The Glory Of The Garden

After a five hour crochet marathon yesterday I finally finished my cot blanket just in time for my colleague's baby shower today ....are you thinking what I'm thinking? It's by no means perfect but so far it is my first finished item, so I'm quite proud of it.

Ta dah!

Look at that lovely shell edging, I only learned how to do that on Friday....but fortunately it was simplicity itself. I'm keen to crack on with the other crochet WIP's now, in order to finish them so I can concentrate on sewing. I still haven't bought the fabric for my skirt but I'm off to Sewing World in Tunbridge Wells on Monday so watch this space.

With the crochet finished I had time to whip up a quick card for LIM's current sketch challenge

apologies for poor photo but very overcast today so had to grab a window of opportunity when the sun made a brief appearance.

I used :
ancient watering can stamp - Inca Stamp
Labels one nestabilities
Memory box dies - Fancy Blossoms
sentiment - Penny BlackWhilst making this card I was reminded of The Glory of The Garden by Rudyard Kipling. I read this poem at my mother's funeral at her request, she was an avid gardener and I'm ever grateful for all the gardening knowledge that she passed on to me. Even though I have sad memories of this poem I nevertheless think it paints a rather lovely, if romanticized view of an Edwardian garden.

OUR England is a garden that is full of stately views,
Of borders, beds and shrubberies and lawns and
avenues,
With statues on the terraces and peacocks strutting by;
But the Glory of the Garden lies in more than meets the eye.
For where the old thick laurels grow, along the thin red wall,
You'll find the tool- and potting-sheds which are the heart of all
The cold-frames and the hot-houses, the dung-pits and the tanks,
The rollers, carts, and drain-pipes, with the barrows and the planks.
And there you'll see the gardeners, the men and 'prentice boys
Told off to do as they are bid and do it without noise ;
For, except when seeds are planted and we shout to scare the birds,
The Glory of the Garden it abideth not in words.
And some can pot begonias and some can bud a rose,
And some are hardly fit to trust with anything that grows ;
But they can roll and trim the lawns and sift the sand and loam,
For the Glory of the Garden occupieth all who come.
Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
By singing:-" Oh, how beautiful," and sitting in the shade
While better men than we go out and start their working lives
At grubbing weeds from gravel-paths with broken dinner-knives.
There's not a pair of legs so thin, there's not a head so thick,
There's not a hand so weak and white, nor yet a heart so sick
But it can find some needful job that's crying to be done,
For the Glory of the Garden glorifieth every one.
Then seek your job with thankfulness and work till further orders,
If it's only netting strawberries or killing slugs on borders;
And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden,
You will find yourself a partner In the Glory of the Garden.
Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees
That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees,
So when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray
For the Glory of the Garden that it may not pass away!And the Glory of the Garden it shall never pass away !

If you ever get the chance to visit Batemans, one of Kipling's Sussex homes I recommend it.

It's been too wet here for much gardening lately but my seeds are coming along nicely.

23 comments:

How clever to use egg boxes to plant seeds. I've never seen that before. Your friend will be thrilled with the blanket. My cousin made one for my daughter and it's one of the things I kept hold of. Very special! x

Are you thinking - what the hell is a baby shower, and how did we become so Americanised? And do we have to give a present after the baby is born as well? Or; phew, that was close, got it finished just in time! Anyway, whatever your thoughts, that's such a sweet blanket, I love the pretty edging!

That's a great card for anyone who loves their garden. Well done for reading the poem out at your mum's funeral, that must have been really hard, but you were doing what she wanted.Look at all those very neat little seedlings - your mum would be proud! xxx

I had to go to a baby shower once - never again. What a strange thing to do and even odder to invite a woman whose chosen not to reproduce!You are a clever girl with that blanket, its gorgeous. I really need to get my seeds started this week - I'll probably end up buying some seedlings from the old man at the car boot instead! xxx

Well done you..and beautiful it is.No pattern yet for the penny cowl but its a very basic US Terms alternate rows of sc, dc. with simple 12 sc 24 dc large pennies and 12sc, 24hdc for the small pennies...hope that helps a bit?

Baby shower? Wow. What a lovely job you've made of that blanket Fiona, it's beautiful. I bet the mother was thrilled. Talking of mothers, how amazing that you read that poem at your Mum's funeral. What fortitude and what a lovely tribute. So exciting to see seedlings forging ahead. I'm desperate to get everything out now! Xxx

It's a beautiful baby blanket! I love to crochet, just don't seem to get anything finished! I have so many things I like to do, it's difficult to chose something and stick with it until finished! LOL! Beautiful card for the LIM challenge!

Hello Fiona, well done on your new cricket, tis lovely! You're very clever to do that!

Your card is beautiful! I love those nestabilities, my sister has quite a few and I bought her some new ones for Christmas. I have lots of punches but don't own a bigshot or any die cutters. I wish I had read your post before my Grandad's funeral, it would have been a very fitting open for him. X